Page 67 of Kingdom of Ashes & Bone
Sabrathan flinched as if I’d struck him.
“Oh no, I didn’t mean it like that!” I insisted, imploring him to understand. “It’s all about practice and having others around to help. You’ve been alone so long, haven’t you? Here, let’s start simple. When was the last time you were in your human form?”
He stared blankly at me.
“You … you have a human form, don’t you?” I asked weakly, taking this as confirmation about how he’d manage to have a half-human, half-dragon baby.
I … don’t remember. I have simply … always been this way. There has been no reason to change.
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask if it would have been worth it for his mate, but I resisted.
“OK, well, let’s try now,” I suggested brightly. Both of us ignored the roars and blasts of heat coming from a half mile away.
Sabrathan hunkered down on all fours. I waited patiently, but absolutely nothing happened.
I can’t do this. I don’t have a human form, I—
I raised a hand, stopping him. Glancing down at Nuri’s little head nestled against my chest, an idea bloomed.
“Focus on Nuri. Focus on the smoothness of her skin, and the clear planes of her back. Look at her round fingers and toes, and focus on how she feels against you.”
Sabrathan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Nothing happened for a long time, but I was patient. So was he.
When something finally did happen, it was so subtle I almost missed it. His wings shrunk ever so slightly.
Nuri squealed, and he cracked one eye open. He stared at her, and the changes came faster. He shrunk inch by inch, wings painstakingly sliding one small bit at a time into his back. His claws and fangs sank away just as slowly, each disappearing scale a victory.
I wasn’t sure how long it took, but I dimly registered that the jungle was quiet again, empty of the sound of two warring dragons. Perhaps Zion finally won one over Zariah, but unlikely.
When the transformation was over, a tall, dark-skinned man stood before me, unsteady on his two legs. I rushed over to offer my free hand to support him, and he gratefully leaned on me. Dark, curly black hair in heavy braids went down to his waist, but his eyes remained a vivid gold.
“Sabrathan?” I asked.
Zariah and Zion dropped from the sky and shifted, landing with precision in a crouch in their human forms. They stood and took in Sabrathan’s new form with surprised looks.
“Nuri, this is your father.” I gently pushed the baby into his arms, staying close in case his new arrangement of limbs caused him to accidentally drop the baby. I needn’t have worried—he took his daughter with all the security in the world, holding her tightly to him. She squawked a bit at being squished, then eagerly grabbed one of his long braids and pulled.
An odd, choked huff forced itself from Sabrathan. His first laugh.
The four of us gathered around the new little life, thoughts swirling about as I rubbed my enlarged stomach.
“Will our child be … similar?”Zariah asked, unable to help himself.
Sabrathan glanced up, eyeing me with a frown. “Did you take her in dragon form?” he asked point blank.
I blushed like mad while my boys’ expressions grew stormy.
“It will be fine,” I insisted. “Remember the witch? She said to call on her when it was time. We could always ask her for help.”
I could feel the panic rising in my mates.
“My … mate was not well,” Sabrathan gruffed out, voice rough and gravelly from disuse.
“You see?” I pressed, plastering a big smile on my face. “It will be fine.”
Zion frowned, but Zariah moved in closer to have a better look at Nuri. “A half-dragon, half-human baby. Is there a name for such a thing?”
Sabrathan shook his head.
